Lineup 2025
Tramhaus
Tramhaus is one of Europe’s most exciting new post-punk bands. Formed in 2021, this Rotterdam five-piece delivers explosive live shows—blending punk urgency with shoegaze textures and grunge grit. Their raw, genre-defying sound has lit up stages at SXSW, Sziget, Best Kept Secret, and Primavera.
Following a string of acclaimed singles, their debut album The First Exit (2024, Subroutine Records) dives deep into themes of tension, identity, and transformation—anchored by frontman Lukas’s powerful presence. Recorded with Floyd Atema in a converted barn, the album earned rave reviews from Dutch press and solidified their spot on the international radar.
Tramhaus is chaotic, emotional, and unforgettable—don’t miss them.
It It Anita
It It Anita is a noise-rock trio from Liège, Belgium, celebrated for their intense live performances and uncompromising sound. Since their formation, they’ve built a reputation across Europe for channeling raw energy into music that’s as chaotic as it is precise. Their latest album, Mouche, marks a new chapter—stripping down to a trio has sharpened their sound, resulting in a tighter, more dynamic approach. Blending heavy guitar riffs, punchy rhythms, and emotionally charged vocals, It It Anita crafts songs that are both confrontational and deeply human. Whether on record or on stage, they deliver a visceral experience that resonates long after the feedback fades.
M(h)aol
M(h)aol (pronounced “male”) burst onto the Dublin punk scene in 2014, drawing their name from the Irish pirate queen Gráinne Mhaol after a spontaneous friendship-inspired decision to form a feminist post‑punk outfit. Since their early days—marked by the raw 2021 EP Gender Studies—they’ve channeled their experiences as women, queers, and outcasts into jagged guitar riffs, pounding drums, and bold, incisive lyrics.
Their debut LP Attachment Styles (2023) zipped through themes of queerness, healing, and systemic patriarchy, earning four‑star reviews in The Guardian and praise across Rolling Stone UK, NPR, NME, and more. A riveting performance at SXSW led to a deal with Merge Records, and a reissue of that album—now featuring the unreleased track “Jack”—in late 2023.
Energetic live shows and relentless DIY spirit remain central to M(h)aol’s identity: they build catharsis and community in every performance, and with Merge behind them, are poised to amplify their message further.
Zimbru
Zimbru is an indie/art-rock band from Cluj-Napoca, Romania, made up of Teodora Retegan, Paul Bucovesan, Andrei Bobiș, and Oana Pop. Their sound blends raspy synths, sharp guitar riffs, and lively percussion, with lyrics touching on dancing, lost pets, love, and nostalgia for eras they never lived through.
They debuted in early 2019 with a live version of Dog Heaven recorded at Cirkular Studio, followed by their first official single Divination, accompanied by a surreal video directed by Irina Alexiu. That summer, Zimbru played Romania’s major music festivals.
Their second single Little Creatures came out on September 27, again with a video by Alexiu. The debut EP, also titled Little Creatures, was released on November 8 via Cirkular and includes four tracks: Divination, Little Creatures, Terejo, and Dyo.
Post-EP, the band gained international recognition, with Europavox calling them “a breath of fresh air in the Eastern-European space.” In 2020, they postponed shows due to the pandemic but performed online at WAVES VIENNA, where they debuted their double single The Ground / Slow Disco.
Orkid
Orkid is a dynamic trio from Bucharest, known for their eclectic musical style that blends elements of punk, garage, post-metal, indie, blues, and more into what they describe as “post-traumatic blues.” Their music often explores themes related to marine life, showcasing a deep affection and respect for nature. Having released multiple albums since their debut in 2016, Orkid is recognized for their cinematic approach to music, complemented by visual art and animation. With over 300 live shows, including opening for international acts, Orkid brings a rich, diverse sound and energetic performance style to the stage.
Check out their music here and choose the streaming service of your liking.
Bad Decisions
Bad Decisions is a band from Bucharest, formed in 2018 by Andy Sinboy (Nuggers) and Ovidiu Chihaia (Mes Quins), who were recently joined by Ovidiu Bejan (The Amsterdams) and Vlad Nita (Cardinal).
The band’s style is energetic post-punk, with a touch of garage, country and kraut. The debut album, “Subnormal”, contains 12 songs about love, hate, doubt, depression, anger and hope and is released by the legendary garage-punk label Voodoo Rhythm Records from Bern, Switzerland.
Give them a listen here.
Asincron
Asincron is an alternative rock band formed in 2020 in Bucharest. The project began as an idea between three friends — Rareș, Lazăr, and Tavi — who were set on starting a band. After a few months of jam sessions, they realized the trio format wasn’t working for them, so in 2021, they added a vocalist to complete the lineup.
That spring, they made their debut at Cevantes Summer Fest, performing two covers and their first original track. Since then, they’ve played gigs alongside other bands from Bucharest’s underground scene, such as Getchoo, Private Venganza, and Cireșarii, in venues like Underworld, Trei Bețivi, The Pub, Mojo, and Expirat — where they opened for Coma.
Though each member has different musical tastes, this diversity has shaped their sound, blending alternative rock with elements of grunge, indie, shoegaze, and emo.
They’ve released one single so far and are currently working on their debut album.
Midpoint
Meet Midpoint – Winner of the Holzstock Indie Festival x Mellowdy Studios Competition 2024!
Hailing from the heart of the indie scene, Midpoint captivated us with their evocative sound—melodic guitar lines woven with introspective lyrics that explore personal growth and emotional depth.
This rising trio won over the jury and secured:
– A 2-day recording session and full post-production package at Mellowdy Studios
– A live performance slot at Holzstock Indie Festival 2025
Currently hard at work on their debut album, Midpoint promises a bold blend of intense chords and impetuous energy.
Catch them live this August—only at Holzstock!
This Rromerican Life
Husband and wife duo, Antoni & Sam, have been making music together for over a decade. They met while studying opera at The Boston Conservatory in 2012 and have been together ever since. Antoni was born into a Rroma family in Romania and adopted to the United States as an infant. An extremely talented multi-instrumentalist, he began playing the violin at age 3 and took up the guitar, bass, drums, and voice as a teenager. Sam was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in New Jersey. A classically trained vocalist, she has been hailed by The Chicago Tribune to be “especially compelling as a singing actor.”
The couple made their first trip to Romania in 2019 to meet Antoni’s biological family and relocated permanently from New York in May 2024. Most recently, they performed on the Forest Stage at the Open Air Blues Festival Brezoi, and have also been featured on Chefi la Cuțite, Antena 1 Observator, Prima TV, Eveniment FM, and others.
pj.lo & the accidentals
pj.lo & the accidentals are a Bucharest-based performative music collective led by Jean-Lorin Sterian (pj.lo). Blurring the boundaries between music, theater, and performance, they present a fluid ensemble—recently featuring Alexandra Mihaela Dancs and Robert Bălan—that transforms poetic, surreal acts into songs and situations. Their sound—part darkwave, part experimental electronic—merges layered lyrics with theatrical visuals, as seen in works like metoda accidentul and their latest EP there is nothing you can do from the light point of you. Expect an immersive, unpredictable performance that plays with identity, satire, and the unconscious, leaving audiences intrigued and moved.
DJ Andyloop
DJ Andyloop is a pioneering figure in the Global Beat scene, blending world grooves with house, breaks, and urban electronics. From Berlin’s legendary Freitags-Bar in the late ’90s to co-founding Barcelona’s iconic Brazelona Sessions (2004–2010), he has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in global music.
His sets fuse rhythms from the Balkans, New York, Colombia, Brazil, Africa, and beyond—always brimming with joy and dancefloor energy. As a producer, he has remixed and collaborated with artists like La Troba Kung-Fu, Los Chicos Altos, Novalima, and Zulu 9.30, with releases on Wonderwheel, UrbanWorld, and more.
Currently, Andyloop performs with Nickodemus, Pablo Sanchez & Sujinho Nossa in Turntables on las Ramblas, and as half of Global Duo with DJ Tillo, mixing grooves and turntablism into a vibrant live show.